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| Khundroo victims get first installment of compensation | | CM asks to start repair, reconstruction of houses in right earnest | | Early Times Reporter
Achhabal|Sep 13
Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad distributed the first instalment of compensation money among the victims of the August 11 Khundroo arms and ammunition depot fire incident here today.
Handing over the compensation cheques to the villagers of Sumbran, one of the three worst affected villages, Azad told them to start repair and reconstruction of their damaged houses right from tomorrow, adding that second installment of money would be given after the construction work was started by them.
Minister of Education, Peerzada Muhammad Sayeed, Minister of State for Health and Power, Peer Muhammad Hussain, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Mehboob Iqbal and District Development Commissioner, G. A. Peer were also present.
About Rs. 92 lakhs worth cheques were distributed today in respect of 341 damaged structures of 150 households of Sumbran village. The process of relief distribution in respect of other affected villages would follow. According to the survey conducted to estimate damages to residential houses, 2150 structures including 1450 residential houses were damaged due to the incident in 13 villages around the ammunition depot. The quantum of damage to property in all the 13 affected villages has been worked out at Rs. 488 lakhs. In all, 3856 families comprising 24,506 souls were affected by the incident.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister told the sufferers of the incident to start repair and reconstruction of their damaged houses in the right earnest. He said the second instalment of the compensation amount would be paid to them only after they start repair and reconstruction work and exhaust the first installment money. He said wiser by the October 2005 earthquake experience, the administration decided against giving money to victims of the ammunition depot fire in one go as most of them might prefer to keep the money and forget repair and reconstruction of their damaged houses.
The Chief Minister announced one month's free ration for the affected population and said subsequently 100 % compensation would be paid to those farmers whose crop was fully damaged or who could not harvest it due to the presence of unexploded ammunition in paddy fields. He said his government would explore possibility of recruitment in police of 3 to 4 youth each from affected villages.
The Chief Minister asked the district administration to complete distribution of compensation cheques among all sufferers within a couple of days. He said timber, cement and CGI sheets would be stocked in the affected villages for easy availability of the people.
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